Does NEC allow splicing of the neutral wires in the electric panel? Thanks

alwaysconfusd11

07-24-2008, 09:53 PM

I would like to know also, I have seen multiple circuits extended inside a new box on service upgrades.

stamcon

07-24-2008, 10:43 PM

Yes you can splice in a panel, with some limits. Look at 312.8 of the 2005 NEC.

"312.8 Enclosures for Switches or Overcurrent Devices."

steve

alwaysconfusd11

07-24-2008, 10:49 PM

I dont have the NEC, Im not an electrician, I was just wondering...But thank you for the answer.

stamcon

07-24-2008, 11:07 PM

Google "312.8 2005 NEC"

steve

Speedy Petey

07-25-2008, 02:07 PM

You certainly CAN splice in a panel with few exceptions.

BillWil

07-30-2008, 09:04 AM

i've had two different experiences with two different local inspectors. I put two wires into a 15 amp breaker, it was designed to take two, and the inspector told me to splice the two and run one wire to the breaker. A couple of weeks later, three blocks down the street in the same community on the same Square D box, I spliced two wires and ran one to the breaker and a different inspector pointed out the the breaker was designed to take two wires so I should take the splice out. I didn't argue either time. Life is interesting sometimes.

M.Kinnes

08-22-2008, 06:12 PM

The limitation would be box fill percentage. You cant just splice as many times as you want.

Disconnects are not to be used as splice points.

jdsmith

08-24-2008, 09:47 AM

Disconnects are not to be used as splice points.

Do you have a code reference for that? It would seem that the metal box containing a disconnect is similar to a metal box containing a panelboard and some breakers.

George Roberts

08-24-2008, 10:57 AM

"Does NEC allow splicing of the neutral wires in the electric panel?"

You can certainly extend neutral wires with a splice.

It might be poor practice to join 2 neutrals and a pigtail for the purpose of avoiding placing 2 neutrals under a single screw.

Skyline Electric

08-24-2008, 04:04 PM

Do you have a code reference for that? It would seem that the metal box containing a disconnect is similar to a metal box containing a panelboard and some breakers.

See 430.10

Skyline Electric

08-24-2008, 04:06 PM

"Does NEC allow splicing of the neutral wires in the electric panel?"

You can certainly extend neutral wires with a splice.

It might be poor practice to join 2 neutrals and a pigtail for the purpose of avoiding placing 2 neutrals under a single screw.

Correct! It could lead to overloading the pigtailed wire.

jwelectric

08-25-2008, 07:00 AM

See 430.10

The question was about panels not motor control centers

jwelectric

08-25-2008, 07:01 AM

Correct! It could lead to overloading the pigtailed wire.
What if it was two 14 to one 10

George Roberts

08-25-2008, 08:31 AM

"What if it was two 14 to one 10"

Actually, I was worried about the neutrals being on opposite legs, the pigtail coming lose, and the two circuits losing the neutral connection.

jwelectric

08-25-2008, 12:56 PM

Would this be any different than losing the neutral on the service?

sparkyinak

08-25-2008, 08:01 PM

Unless the two shared neutrals are on the the same pole of a breaker, I would not tie them together. You can set yourself up for potential over loading problems.

MitsiElectric

09-10-2008, 07:20 AM

I would agree with Peter only if you are giving advice to an Electrician.
Giving advice to a home owner as to how to hook up a cook-top,
is to get in a liability and potentially sefty problems.

Just my thought.

jwelectric

09-24-2008, 05:45 AM

what is the difference in a splice in a panel and anywhere else????????????

mosaic-glass-tile

09-24-2008, 09:27 AM

We would be concerned that the fill was greater than 40% and would have to show that Table 4 in the NEC Chapter 9 was complied with along with Table 5. This mess should be referred to a qualified electrician

Speedy Petey

09-25-2008, 05:39 AM

........ and would have to show that Table 4 in the NEC Chapter 9 was complied with along with Table 5.You CANNOT be serious.

Speedy Petey

09-25-2008, 05:44 AM

I would agree with Peter only if you are giving advice to an Electrician.
Giving advice to a home owner as to how to hook up a cook-top,
is to get in a liability and potentially sefty problems.

Just my thought.You obviously don't go on the forums much then. Folks are going to do this stuff no matter what we suggest. As long as we suggest the right thing to do we are fine.
One of the main reasons I started replying to forums was all the BS advice that I saw being given out. That and the fact that SO many home owners had NO clue how to do things, yet thought "this stuff is so easy I'll do it myself".
The ones that post to forums on how to do things correctly (and then apply that information) are the smart ones. We are not seeing the countless hacks out there that are doing the work without knowing the proper way to do it, and not caring. As long a it works, right?